Ice and Fire
by The Avid Musician
Summary: A new species joins the Federation, and the very fist cadet of this species knows next to nothing about human anatomy, despite being a surgeon. She has a lot to learn and the perfect opportunity. OC
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, though believe me I wish I did._

**Chapter One**_  
_

Bones groaned as he looked up from his PADD to the face of his friend, Jim Kirk. "They just assigned me to the meet-and-greet squad of incoming cadets."

"Great chance to mess with the newbies, but the bigger question is: do you have a hot girl or some other person?"

"Take a look for yourself," he said, pulling up the picture of the person he was to escort.

The two looked at the picture of a tiny woman with pale blonde hair and the whitest skin either of them had ever seen, which was pulled back into a messy bun. Her eyes were amber, and there was a graceful if strange tattoo of two sloping lines connected to the inner corner of her eyes extended to her cheekbones all in silver. She wore a white, skin-tight shirt and light yellow leggings with very practical looking, grey shoes. Around her neck were two tiny, golden chains forming a chocker as they wrapped around each other. In the centre of it was set a tiny rose carved out of what looked like a ruby. Curling around it and the setting were little golden leaves.

"What planet is she from?"

"Tavelis-"

"The ice planet," he finished.

"Her name is Merisaerdri Varensa."

"How old is she?"

"...This can't be right! It says she's 31!"

"Actually, Tavelisians have a similar age span to Vulcans."

"Wait...How do you know that?"

"I took an Intro to Xenobiology class in High School," Kirk said with a shrug.

"I took a Xenoanatomy class!"

"Those only focus on the main Federation races and the biggest enemies."

"Well, she's going to be on the _Enterprise_," Bones said, attempting not to sulk.

"Calm down, Bones. All you need to do is show her around for a day. Besides, she's hot!"

"She looks like she's been in the deepfreeze, Jim."

"Then, I'll go with you and help warm her up a little."

"Stop it with the innuendo, Jim!"

"I'll meet you at the Mess Hall for lunch!" Jim said, racing out before Bones could argue.

**MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS**

A young alien woman stepped off the ship, holding her large bag with a struggle. She brushed a lock of hair from her equally white face and looked through the crowd of arriving cadets. In the midst of this hustle and bustle, a uniformed cadet walked up to her, or rather came close enough to tower over her. He stood nearly six feet tall! His hair, skin, and eyes were all very dark, especially for what she was used to.

"Lieutenant Merisaerdri Varensa?" he asked, looking down at her uncertainly.

She nodded, attempting not to stare at the protrusion in the middle of his face, his nose.

"I'm Cadet McCoy. I'm here to show you around Starfleet Academy for the day and get you to know the grounds better," he said. He sounded like he was quoting his orders in his dialect.

Quite suddenly, he stopped speaking and asked, "I'm sorry. Can you even speak English?"

Meris snorted and said, "I speak multiple languages fluently. English is one of them."

"Sorry, Ma'am," he muttered.

At this, Meris laughed outright. As no one was nearby, she said, "Why don't you just call me Meris?"

"It's Leonard or Bones, whichever you prefer," he said gruffly, his true personality showing through, as well as his distinctly southern North American accent.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Leonard. Now, would you mind showing me where my dorm is? My arm feels like a Ferilat is chewing it off," she said kindly.

"Let me take that," Bones said, taking her bag from her. As soon as he had a grip on it, he laughed and said, "So you're about as strong as your size implies?"

"If by that you mean I have trouble lifting something like this, then yes," she returned.

"Anything else I should know about? He asked teasingly.

"I recommend not coming into my room once the temperature is set," she said.

"And why not?" he asked, bending down slightly to look at her.

"It will be set to 35° F," she said with a shrug.

Bones frowned in surprise and asked, "What planet are you from?"

"Tavelis," she provided.

"The ice planet," he said, nodding.

"Is that what people call it?" she asked.

"You haven't been off planet before, have you?" he asked.

"Never," she said cheerfully.

"Well, welcome to Earth."

"By the way, aren't you a bit old to be a cadet?" she asked.

"I'm only 31, perfectly fine for a cadet!" he insisted. "What about you? Why is a lieutenant so young?" he said.

"Actually, I'm 31 as well, still pretty young for a Tavelisian," she corrected.

"That's impossible! You can't be more than 20!"

She shook her head and said, "Believe it."

The two continued to chat all the way to her quarters. However upon seeing them, Bones asked, "Why don't you have to share a room?"

"A little something about climate and _lieutenant_," Meris said, turning back to him from the temperature controls. "Could you please set the bags on the bed?" she said, returning her attention to the console.

Bones did as she asked before asking, "So what's your focus?"

"Surgery and Pathology."

"You'll be in Medical?" he asked, perking up.

"Yes. And you?"

"I was a doctor before my wife divorced me."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. She was a harpy."

She chuckled as she continued, "Well, in light of that, do you know what ship you'll be on?"

"The _Enterprise_, once they finally finish it. Assistant CMO."

"Really? I'm going to be the surgeon on the _Enterprise_."

"Well, isn't that just ironic."

"Actually, it's a coincidence."

"Or the higher ups planned it."

"That's true," she said, stopping at the door of a building.

"Y'all ready?"

"Cadet!" a sharp voice called suddenly from behind them.

Both of them turned to see a grey haired man in an officer uniform striding toward them. "Captain Pike," Bones said, both for her benefit and for decorum.

"Is this the new lieutenant?" Pike asked.

"Yes, Sir," Bones said.

"Hello. I'm Captain Pike. I'm assuming you are Lieutenant Merry-saar-dry Van-elle-wah," the man said, looking down at her kindly with his hand out to shake.

"Yes, Sir. Pleasure to meet you, and its Merisaerdri," she said sincerely, reaching up to shake his hand.

"Merisaerdri," he repeated. She nodded.

"Well, is it true that your species have two hearts?"

"Yes, Sir," she said simply.

"Fascinating. Good luck with human anatomy."

"Thank you, Sir," she said with a genuine smile, for the first time showing her fangs. This alarmed both men.

"Well, have a good day, Lieutenant, Cadet. Welcome to Starfleet Academy," he said honestly before walking away.

"He seemed friendly," Meris said once the Captain was gone.

"More than he was with the new recruits," Bones said, raising his eyebrows for a second.

"Yes, well, I'm not exactly new. I only have to take three classes before I graduate."

"Really? Damn! I'm almost done with a year of required classes. Why do you get to skip ahead?"

"It was a part of the terms under which I was commissioned."

"Why were you commissioned?" he asked with a frown.

"I'm the first Tavelisian in Starfleet," she said simply.

"And you're a surgeon?" he asked, not seeing the continuity between the two.

"Yes," she said as though it was obvious.

"Why?"

"I've always had a passion for helping people. I was thrown into surgery on a trip out to the Caves of Nareithalen with my brother when an icicle fell from the ceiling and pierced one of my brothers' wrists. I removed the pebbles from his wrist and stitched his hand back together."

McCoy winced. "I just liked anatomy. Medical just made sense after college."

"What is 'college'?"

"Post-secondary education?" She shook her head. "University?"

"Oh."

"How do your people learn?"

"We have community schools. Most start by age twelve. I started four years early."

"Why?"

"The incident with my brother, actually. The Council thought I showed initiative and let me begin early."

"How early can you start?"

"Ten, normally."

"Why so late?"

"We mature later."

"So you have puberty at twenty?"

"Eighteen, but you get the idea," she said with a nod.

"Okay...and what about that necklace? That mean something?"

Meris touched her hand to her choker. The white crystals formed a single row that wrapped around her neck only once. "It's a Jivalna vine, one of the fourteen varieties of fruit that grows on Tavelis. My brother made this for me when I finished school."

"He _made_ it?"

"Yes. He carved it out of ice and coated it with Lersvanya."

Bones frowned in confusion.

"It's a chemical that prevents ice from freeing at up to 212° F," she explained briefly.

"How have I not heard of this before?"

"We won't sell it."

"Why not?"

"My planet is already one of the wealthiest. We have no need to. Plus, our source isn't very large."

"How _do_ you make it?"

"Maliut fruit juice and three naturally occurring chemicals. All of our cities are built out of ice, then coated with it. It allows the vines between the buildings to grow."

"You have whole cities built out of ice?"

"Yes. They stretch up over half a mile into the sky at the Capital."

"How does it not collapse?"

"Our buildings are made very differently from yours."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As Meris walked along the path outside, she heard a masculine voice ask from behind her, "Are you lost, Cadet?"

She turned to see young Vulcan in a Commander uniform. His hair was black and his skin pale, as was normal for a Vulcan. However, his eyes were not the usual totally expressionless pools of black that she was used to for Vulcans. His eyes were curious, betraying far more emotion than any Vulcan would ever allow. This man was a half-breed, which made him Commander Spock.

The second he saw her insignia of rank, he said quickly, "My apologies, Lieutenant. I mistook you for a Cadet. What are you doing out so late?"

"I was stargazing, Sir," she said simply.

"Might I enquire as to what species you are? I must admit I have never seen one of your kind before," Spock said, obviously intensely curious.

"I am Tavelisian, the only Starfleet officer as of yet from that system, just as you are the only half-Vulcan," she said briefly. As an afterthought, she added, "Sir."

"Lieutenant, how did you know I was half Vulcan?" Spock asked delicately.

"Sir, your whole manner indicates that you are Vulcan, but your eyes are far too expressive. Naturally, due to your lack of other characteristics typical of other races, I deduced that you were half Vulcan and half human," Ari explained.

"That is an astute observation, Lieutenant. Tell me, how long have you been studying here?" His eyes shone with curiosity now.

"I arrived today, Sir," she said.

"Welcome to Starfleet," he said simply. His Vulcan half obviously thought it the only logical thing to say at this point.

"Thank you, Commander. Might I enquire as to why _you_ are out so late?" Now the curiosity was directed in the opposite direction.

"I was grading papers for my Vulcan Linguistics Class," he explained, off handed.

Meris nodded uncommitted understanding before asking, "As you are the only half Vulcan in Starfleet I know that you are Commander Spock, but to clarify you are teaching an advanced hand to hand combat class and a Vulcan 1 class, are you not?"

"I am indeed," he said simply.

"This is an interesting coincidence. I am to be your assistant during those two classes beginning tomorrow," she said.

"So you are Lieutenant Merisaerdri Varensa," the Commander said in recognition.

"Yes," she replied simply.

"This would indeed be an interesting coincidence, as you said. I have not studied the physiology of your species, so might I ask how you are to assist me in an advanced hand to hand combat class? Your physical limitations would suggest that you are a poor choice for an assistant in fighting class."

"My race is faster and more agile than either Vulcans or humans. Aside from that, we tend to be extremely flexible. Those two factors combined make for a good lesson in hand to hand combat. Would you not agree, Sir?"

"Is there anything else I should know for the class?"

"My hearing and night vision are more developed as well, if that matters. I'll warn you now that I cannot stand high temperatures for long periods of time. My race is suited to a mean temperature of 35°. Other than that..._I can speak Vulcan, so please do not comment about thusly,"_ she said, saying the last in Vulcan.

"_Where did you learn to speak Vulcan?_" he asked, thoroughly surprised that she knew the language without having been in Starfleet to learn it.

"On Tavelis, we are taught English, Tavelisian, Vulcan, Klingon, Romulan, Andorian, and Tellarite, every dialect in each of those languages," she said, listing off all of the languages she knew on her fingers.

Spock looked astonished at this and asked, "How long are you in school on your homeworld?"

"We begin at the age of twelve and graduate at age 36," she said as though it were nothing.

"Fascinating," Spock said.

Meris looked up at the sky again and remembered just how late it actually was. "Well, Commander, I had best be going, and you as well," she said.

"Yes. I look forward to hearing more about your species tomorrow, Lieutenant Varensa," he said honestly.

"_Good night, Sir,"_ she said simply in Vulcan. She nodded her head to him before turning and walking back to her dorm which, thankfully, was hers alone.

**MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS**

The following morning dawned, and with it Starfleet Lieutenant Meris Varensa rose. She ate only precious little. Outside of the dorm, many members of Starfleet, mostly human Cadets, walked about. Most were heading to their first class, just like Meris.

A quarter of an hour later, Meris walked into a classroom. Sitting at the desk at the front of the room was that same Commander Spock she had met the previous night. "_Good morning, Commander,"_ Meris called in Vulcan.

"Hello, Lieutenant. I believe you were sent the lesson plan for the coming week. As you can see, today is an overview of the course," Spock said, turning to face her.

She nodded, showing her understanding. Then, she looked up and asked, "What, precisely, could you use my assistance with in this course?"

"You may assist me in the answering of questions, the grading of assignments, and other such tasks," Commander Spock said.

Meris nodded, concealing her disappointment. She had hoped that she would be able to teach if even a little. Instead, she was stuck with these simple tasks that even a student could do easily.

"And of course, you may teach some of the lessons a little later in the semester," he finished.

Meris's head snapped up, and her eyes focused straight on him for a second. Suddenly, she realized that she was staring and looked down again at the data pad she had brought with her. Quickly, she skimmed through the list of main topics they would be studying. She had no reason to worry about this class because she already knew everything they would be covering. After all, she spoke Vulcan fluently.

By the time she had finished this task, students were arriving, filling up the seats quickly in the lecture hall. Seeing this, Ari quickly took a seat behind the desk, carefully crossing her legs and arranging her skirt.

A minute later, Spock stepped forward and said loudly so all of the students could hear, "Hello, Cadets, and welcome to Vulcan 1. I am Commander Spock, and this is Lieutenant Varensa." She nodded in acknowledgement.

From there, Spock proceeded to explain what was expected of the students and the main topics of study for the class. Meris listened intently for the whole of the time, analyzing his speech and making notes on it. She would need this for when she was a teacher until the Enterprise was ready. According to the reports, she would teach for at least a semester before the ship was fully operational and space ready.

Meris sat quietly while Spock finished the introduction. He was so precise in his timing that just as he finished, the class was over. The students hurried out while Meris moved more languidly, taking her time as she strolled out. As she passed Spock, she said to him, "I'll see you at the other class."

This precious time between classes, Meris spent sitting outside in the sun reading over more carefully the course guidelines of both courses with which she was to help. Quite honestly, they were far from challenging. She would have little trouble helping and answering questions.

After an hour, Meris left her sun-drenched spot in the grass for the physical education building of Starfleet, ready to give the students of the next class a lesson in agility.


End file.
